Reclaiming Voice and Identity: A Study of Female Self-Assertion in Rabindranath Tagore’s Mythical Plays
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29070/s5pss813Keywords:
Rabindranath Tagore, Mythical Plays, Female Assertion, Feminism, Gender Roles, Identity, Indian DramaAbstract
This paper explores the assertion of the female self in the mythical plays of Rabindranath Tagore, focusing on how the dramatist reinterprets classical mythological figures to express feminist ideals and humanistic values. Tagore, a literary visionary and social reformer, subverts patriarchal traditions by reimagining female characters with depth, agency, and moral autonomy. Through close textual analysis of selected plays such as Chitrangada, Karṇa-Kunti Saṁvād, and Gandhari's Prayer, the study reveals how Tagore employs myth not to preserve convention, but to challenge the oppression of women and advocate for their empowerment. By presenting women as emotionally intelligent, spiritually aware, and intellectually articulate, Tagore's mythical dramas serve as a medium for voicing resistance, identity formation, and liberation within a traditionally male-dominated narrative structure.
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